Pressure vessel



J. MERCIER ETAL PRESSURE VESSEL F eb. 9, 1965 Filed May 1'7J 1952 FIG 3 FIG 2 mfum/ 4 BY m, FAIRBA fr v ATTORNEYS United States Patent (Milice 3,lb8,907 Patented Feb. 9, 1965 3,l65,99'7 PRESSURE VESSEL Jean Mercier, lids' Parli Arve., New Yorlr, NSY., and

Jacques H. Mercier, New York, NX.; said Jacques H.

Mercier assigner to Mercier Glaer Patent Corporation,

Wilmington, Del., a corporation ot Delaware Filed ll/lay i7, 1962, Ser. No. lfifio Claims priority, application France May 3G, 1961 i Claims. (Cl. i3d-3h) This invention relates to the art of pressure vessels, more particularly of the type having a iiexible separator intervening between two iluids in the pressure vessel.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a pressure vessel of the above type that may readily be fabricated at relatively low cost and may readily be assembled with assurance that the rim of the separator will be dependably retained in place, maintaining a duid-tight seal.

According to the invention these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and more particularly recited in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings in which is shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pressure vessel according to the invention,

FlG. 2 is a detail sectional View on an enlarged scale of the clamped portionof the mouth of the separator,

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of the mouth of the separator,

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional View of a portion of the closure cover of the separator,

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of another embodiment of the separator,

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of the mouth of the pressure vessel, according to another embodiment, and

FG. 7 is a detail sectional view of the separator used in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, in the embodiment shown in FIG. l, the pressure vessel comprises a container l@ of strong rigid material, such as steel, capable of `.vithstanding high pressure. The container lli is cylindrical along the major portion of the body thereof and has a hemisphcrical end i3 which has an opening l5 in which an outlet member lo is mounted, through which iluid such as oil under pressure may dow. The cylindrical portion of the container lll at the mouth thereof is of larger diameter than the main body o the container, detining a curved shoulder 20. The mouth of the container 1d is designed to be closed by a cover member ll which, as shown in FIG. l, has a slightly arched central portion 17 provided with an axial opening lli designed to receive a suitable air connection (not shown). The periphery of the cover has a depending cylindrical portion l@ adapted to fit into the cylindrical mouth of the container lt).

As shown in FlG. l, the periphery of the cover member ll is curved in cross section so that its outer curved surface may rest on the correspondingly curved portion Ztl of the container.

In addition, the depending portion l@ of the cover has a cylindrical portion lilla which tits relatively snugly in the main cylindrical portion of the container so that the cover member will be accurately centered therein.

Positioned in the container 1b is a lexible separator 2li, illustratively a collapsible and expansible bladder having I u n P' an enlarged mouth and which desirably 1s of resilient material such as rubber or synthetic plastic of like physical characteristics. The bladder 2l. denes two chambers in the pressure vessel, ie., an oil chamber 22 which is in communication with the passageway 16a through the outlet member lo and a gas chamber 23, which is in Communication with the opening l.

The mouth of the bladder 2l, as is clearly shown in FIGS. l to 3 inclusive, has preferably formed integral therewith on its inner surface, two annular beads 24 and 25 spaced apart from each other by an intermediate zone 25 clearly shown in FIG. 3.

To support the bladder 2l, the lower end of the depending portion 19 of the cover member 1l is of reduced thickness and has an annular groove 27 on its outer surface adapted to receive the annular bead 2d as is clearly shown in FIG. 2. The lower end 28 of the depending portion lll is rounded, as is clearly shown in FIG. 2, and reacts against the bead 25, the rounding of the end 25 being preferred to prevent sharp edges that may cut the bladder 2l.

As shown in FG. 3, the width of the intermediate zone 2o of the bladder 2l is in a state of rest, when not under any tension. The zone 26 is placed under tension as shown in FIG. 2 when the bead 2d is positioned in the groove Z7 and when the bead 25 is against the end 28 of the depending portion 19 of the separator.

Prior to installation of the cover member lll, the bladder is first positioned thereon so that it will be securely retained in place with the intermediate portion 26 under tension. This clearly facilitates the mounting of the cover and the bladder into the cylindrical container 10.

Thus, when the cover member with the bladder mounted thereon, is forced into the container 1li, the cover member lll will move downwardly until its curved periphery abuts against the corresponding curved periphery of the container. At this time the cylindrical portion lll/b1 of the depending portion i9 of the cover member will iit snugly into the container accurately centering the cover member ll and the bladder 2l in such c011- tainer.

Bue to the dimensions selected of the beads and the thickness of the bladder wall, the bead 24 will be compressed into the annular groove 27 forming a seal between the junction 2li between the depending portion i9 and tbe adjacent wall of the container and the bead 25 will be compressed between the rounded end 28 `of the cover member ll and the adjacent wall surface of the container lll thereby providing dependable sealing action to prevent leakage of oil or gas from the pressure Vessel.

Furthermore, as the bladder 2l tends to maintain its original molded shape, shown in FlG. 3, the initial tension to the intermediate zone 26 will be maintained and hence the sealing action at junction 2t) will be maintained. More particularly, any tendency' to cold flow which results from the compression of the rim of the bladder between the container and the cover member and which miht otherwise result in a leak is prevented due to such initial tension in accordance with the invention.

As is clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper portion 27a of the groove 27 forms, in conjunction with the adjacent side wall of the container lil, an acute angle A terminating at junction 2t), which is designed to insure dependable sealing action of the bead 2d when the latter is in compressed condition. j

ln the embodiment shown in FIGS. l to 3, the upper surface 24a of the bladder is, when the bladder is not under compression, substantially perpendicular to the axis of the adjacent portion, i.e., without slope.

The assembly of the embodiment shown in FIGS. l to 3 is completed by rolling over or crimping the portion l. of the enlarged diameter mouth 12 of the container l@ so that it snugly presses against the rounded periphery of the cover member ll, retaining such rounded poralsace? tion against the correspon ingly curved portion 2t? of the container 1d.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the upper end 24h of bead 2li-'in uncompressed condition has a slope which is less than that of the inclined portion 27a of the groove 27 so that adependable seal will still be effected.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is also similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in PEG. 7, the bead 24 is rounded not only on its inner surface, but also on the upper portion of its top surface. Except for this, the mouth of the bladder 2311 shown in FlG. 7 is identical to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The depending portion i9 shown in FIG. 6 has an annuiar groove 27 which diifers from the annular groove 27 of NGS. 1 to 3 in that it is substantially rectangular as shown and adapted to receive the bead 24.

The mouth of the container 1@ shown in FIG. 6, also differs from that shown in FIG. 1 in that the cover member 11 of FIG. 6 is retained in place by an annulus 3i?. Thus, as is clearly shown in FiG. 6, the upper end of the container l@ has a reduced diameter portion forming an annular seat 29 on which a corresponding annular flange 3Q' at the top surface of the cover member seats. The outer surface of the container 1t? adjacent its mouth is threaded to receive the correspondingly threaded end of annulus 3@ wmch is L-shaped in cross section as shown.

With the arrangement above described, due to the initial tensioning of the intermediate zone 26 of the bladder, a dependable sealing action will be maintained as soon as the bladder is installed and such seaiing action will continue throughout the life of the unit.

, As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently wideiy diderent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scopeof the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying'drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pressure vessel comprising a rigid hollow container having an enlarged diameter mouth and having a port at the other end, a cover member adapted to be positioned in the mouth of said container, said cover member having a port therein, means securely to retain said cover member in place, a exible separator of resilient deformable material positioned in said container and intervening between said ports, said separator having two spaced annular beads near its periphery positioned on the side of the separator adjacent the port in the cover member, said cover member having a cylindrical portion extending into said container, said cylindrical portion having an annular groove on its outer surface adapted to receive the annular bead adjacent the periphery of the separator, the spacing between the depending portion and the adjacent wall surface of the container being such as to place said annular bead under lateral compression forming a seal between said depending portion and the adjacent wall of the container, the distance between said annular beads being such that when said first bead is under compression, the free end of the depending portion of said cover member will react against the Second bead also maintaining the latter under compression and maintaining the intermediate Zone between said annular beads under tension.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the end of. said depending portion of the cover member is curved to avoid sharp angles.

3. The combination set forth in claim l in which the upper portion of the annular groove in the depending portion of said cover member is inclined to form an acute angle with respect to the adjacent wall surface of the container and the end of the separator when uncompressed forms a substantially right angle with respect to the adjacent wall of the separator.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the annular groove in the depending portion of said cover member is inclined to form an acute angle with respect to the adjacent wall surface of the container and the end of the separator when uncompressed is tapered downwardly with respect to the adjacent wall of the separator, the angle of such taper being less than the angie ofinclination of the upper portion of the annular groove in said depending portion of the cover member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 

1. A PRESSURE VESSEL COMPRISING A RIGID HOLLOW CONTAINER HAVING AN ENLARGED DIAMETER MOUTH AND HAVING A PORT AT THE OTHER END, A COVER MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN THE MOUTH OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID COVER MEMBER HAVING A PORT THEREIN, MEANS SECURELY TO RETAIN SAID COVER MEMBER IN PLACE, A FLEXIBLE SEPARATOR OF RESILIENT DEFORMABLE MATERIAL POSITIONED IN SAID CONTAINER AND IN TERVENING BETWEEN SAID PORTS, SAID SEPARATOR HAVING TWO SPACED ANNULAR BEADS NEAR ITS PERIPHERY POSITIONED ON THE SIDE OF THE SEPARATOR ADJACENT THE PORT IN THE COVER MEMBER, SAID COVER MEANS HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID CONTAINER, SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE ON ITS OUTER SURFACE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE ANNULAR BEAD ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF THE SEPARATOR, THE SPACING BETWEEN THE DEPENDING PORTION AND THE ADJACENT WALL SURFACE OF THE CONTAINER BEING SUCH AS TO PLACE SAID ANNULAR BEAD UNDER LATERAL COMPRESSION FORMING A SEAL BETWEEN SAID DEPENDING PORTION AND THE ADJACENT WALL OF THE CONTAINER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR BEADS BEING SUCH THAT WHEN SAID FIRST BEAD IS UNDER COMPRESSION, THE FEED END OF THE DEPENDING PORTION OF SAID COVER MEMBER WILL REACT AGAINST THE SECOND BEAD ALSO MAINTAINING THE LATTER UNDER COMPRESSION AND MAINTAINING THE INTERMEDIATE ZONE BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR BEADS UNDER TENSION. 